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2025-07-29
Pedro Antunes comments on SIC Notícias on the main measures of the proposed labour reform

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Pedro Antunes, Partner in the Labour practice at CCA Law Firm, appeared live on CNN Portugal’s Edição da Manhã to analyse the labour reform proposal presented by the Government. Among the topics discussed were the purchase of additional vacation days, changes to minimum services during strikes, and the end of restrictions on outsourcing.

One of the highlighted points was the Executive’s intention to regulate the possibility for workers to purchase extra vacation days. Although this practice already exists in some companies, it currently lacks a clear legal framework. According to Pedro Antunes, the proposal “aims to enshrine in the Labour Code the possibility of purchasing extra vacation days, provided that the minimum 22 days established by law are respected”.

Regarding minimum services during strikes, the lawyer underlined the importance of proportionality: “The Government wants to impose minimum percentages in essential sectors, such as healthcare or transport, and the key issue will be whether the criterion adopted respects that principle.”

Pedro Antunes also analysed the proposal to repeal the limitations on outsourcing following dismissals, considering that this change “makes sense, because it brings greater flexibility and competitiveness to companies”, in a context where “the Labour Code requires a deep reform to respond to the demands of an increasingly digital and technological world”.

With the introduction of new measures also in the areas of work on digital platforms and pay transparency, the lawyer emphasizes that the Government’s proposal may represent an opportunity to modernize the labour legal framework, if it is accompanied by effective social dialogue and a balance between workers’ rights and business competitiveness.